Sunburn — The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics — 10.22.21

  By Peter Schorsch    

Good Friday morning.

We begin with some news we really don’t want to share.

Sen. Tina Polsky, an attorney and rising star among Democrats, has been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer and will begin treatment at Boca Raton Regional Hospital Lynn Cancer Institute next week.

Polsky, 53, self-detected a suspicious mass about a month and a half ago and, after a biopsy showed it was cancerous, underwent a lumpectomy on Sept. 27.

She is awaiting the results of one more test, but for now, she is scheduled to treat her cancer with radiation.

She decided to publicize her cancer diagnosis and treatment plan to underscore the importance of self-examinations and annual mammograms and how they improve breast cancer health outcomes, Polsky told Florida Politics on Thursday.

“I wanted to share because word got out even though I asked people to keep it quiet. So, I’d rather get ahead of the story,” she said. “In addition, I also wanted to use my public position to educate others about early self-detection and mammograms.”

Polsky is one of an estimated 20,160 Florida women who the American Cancer Society projected in its annual report would be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021; it is the most diagnosed cancer in the state, according to the association’s report.

Meanwhile, Polsky said she has a particular interest in improving early cancer detection for younger women who can have more aggressive cancer than postmenopausal women but aren’t eligible for annual mammograms.

“I don’t know if it’s a legislative answer, I don’t think so, but younger women really need to stay on top of it because they are not supposed to get regular mammograms. We have to be able to do something about that,” she said.

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First on #FlaPol — If former President Donald Trump tunes into Fox News this week, he might see MeidasTouch’s new ad lambasting him as a no-show in the Virginia Governor race.

“Donald, why are you so scared to go to Virginia? Is it because you know Glenn Youngkin wants nothing to do with you? Or is it because your loser stench rubs off on everyone you touch,” the ad narrator says.

“President (Barack) Obama is showing up. President (Joe) Biden is showing. Dr. (Jill) Biden is showing up. Stacey Abrams is showing up. If you weren’t too weak or scared or washed up, you would get to Virginia fast. But you won’t. Instead, you’re just phoning it in. Like a coward.”

The progressive Super PAC released the ad, titled “#TrumpinHiding,” on social media on Oct. 18 and it has amassed more than 1.2 million views in the days since.

MeidasTouch hopes it will get in front of at least one more pair of eyes by way of a five-figure ad buy on Fox News in the Palm Beach media market. Though it’s 800 miles south of the Virginia border, it’s also home to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.

To watch “#TrumpinHiding,” click on the image below:

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The Southern Group, the top-earning lobbying firm in Florida over the last year, has won the Golden Rotunda for Lobbying Firm of the Year.

Nick Iarossi, the man responsible for the rapid rise of Capital City Consulting, was named Lobbyist of the Year. And the award for Boutique Lobbying Firm of the Year went to Johnston & Stewart, founded by Jeff Johnston and Amanda Stewart two years ago this month.

The Golden Rotundas are awarded by INFLUENCE Magazine to recognize the best in the governmental affairs profession. Winners are determined by voting within the profession.

In years past, we reached out to industry professionals to submit nominations for individual lobbyist awardees and firm winners. We asked each to submit three nominations, weighted the results, and voila, the 2021 Golden Rotundas are here.

Several other firms and lobbyists won Golden Rotundas across more than a dozen categories. You can read about the winners in the latest edition of INFLUENCE.

YOU CAN READ ABOUT ALL OF THE GOLDEN ROTUNDA AWARD WINNERS HERE.

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Troy Kinsey takes to the skies — Longtime TV journalist Kinsey is prepped for takeoff. On Thursday, he announced that he’d turned in his two-week notice to Bay News 9/News 13 and that he’d already lined up a new off-screen gig with American Airlines Group. “Fasten your seat belt and place your seat back in its full upright position!” Kinsey, an avid pilot, said. The FSU and USC alum will be flying for American’s Envoy Air sub-brand, which taxis out of Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, and Miami, so his Florida fans will still have the chance to hear him speak into a microphone. No word if Kinsey will make return trips to Tallahassee for cameos for his famous impressions of Charlie Crist or Rick Scott. Here’s to a smooth landing.

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Mike Bender, Gary Fineout to hold live Q&A at Midtown Reader — The Wall Street Journal reporter will swing through town next week to promote his new book, “Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost.” The former Tallahassee resident is scheduled to hold a live Q&A session with POLITICO Florida’s Fineout on Thursday at Midtown Reader. Bender said conversation topics will include “Florida politics, the 2022 midterms — the anecdotes and details from my book that inform both — and anything else you might want to get off your chest.” The event starts at 7 p.m. Attendees will also have an opportunity to get a signed copy of Bender’s book. Copies are available ahead of time via Midtown Reader’s online store.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

—@JimmyPatronis: It is heartbreaking to hear first responders getting pink slips because they won’t bow down to the political pressure of a local government on vaccine mandates.

—@JakeMGrumbach: When police resign, instead of following this very easy rule, just imagine how many codes of conduct they routinely break, how important it is to their occupational identity that they obey no civilian authority.

—@ChristineSexton: Since @GovRonDeSantis is calling legislators back for a Special Session — Will lawmakers approve the spending of $1.1 billion in increased federal Medicaid funds the state received for home and community-based services?

—@AnnaEskamani: Hi! My name is Anna (Eskamani), and not everything I tweet has to fit a dominant political narrative. What I love doing is share evidence-based policy points that even cross-party lines because our goal is to help solve problems, not create them or cause more drama

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

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